Passenger and freight transfer system



W. P. LAMAR, PJESSENGEH AND FREIGHT THANSFER SYSTEM. APPLlcArxoN mfcJULY 20,1911. RENEWED JUNE 25,1920.

1,3PU8 Patnted Jan.V 18, 1921.

s sHEE'rs--SHE'ET 1.

W. P. LAMAR.

PASSENGER AND FREIGHT TRANSFER SYSTEM.4 APPucArmu msn JULY zo, 1911.nguEwEDJuuE 25.1920.

f 1,366,008, Patented Jam 18,1921.

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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W P. LAMAR. PASSENGER AND FHEGHT. TRANSFER SYSTEM. APPucArmN man ww20,1917. RNEwn1uN.E25,1s2o.

1,366,008. Patented Jam 18,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. i n

@M {mw/mm p4@ @Honing Bil WILLIAM r. Lamas, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA,

PASSENGER AND EItlElIGrlT TRANSFER SYSTEM.

retenes.

peeneaton of Letters iatent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

llpplication led July 2G, 1917, Serial No. 181,885- Ren'wed June 25,1920. Serial No. 391,839.`

To all whom t may concern.' i

lie it lrnoivn that l, ILLIAM l?. Lenen, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Atlanta, Fulton county, State of Georgia, have inventedcertain neiY and useful lmprovements in Passenger and Freight TransferSystems, of which the following 1s a specification.

rlfhs invention relates to apijiaratus for transferring passengers and'freight to and. Ifrom moving railroad traine to avoid the usual delayat stations, and. to reduce the amount of rolling stock necessary tohandle a given amount of tratlic.

ln my application tierial ll'uinber 136,496, tiled December l?, llld.,ll disclose an apparatus of this character in which a transfer car whichmay he loaded vr' h passengers or freight, is taken from a stationplatform into a special reception car on a train by mechanical means,without stopping the train, and which is discharged from the re ceptioncar on to the platform at the next station. y

My present .invention is an improvement upon the apparatus described inmy above mantieni-'id application and has for its object to providemechanical means for accomplishinp; the same result in a differentmanner. which, under some circumstances, may be 'more satisfactory thanthe apparatus heretofore des ribed.

The invention will he fully disclosed. in the following descrintion`taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which, I

lfigure l. is a plan vieiv of a station plat- :form adjacent a railroadtrash, sluzwing the general positions ofthe train and transter car whenthe tr' nsfer about to talee place,

Fig. il is a side elevation of one of the cars of the train, showingportions of the special naratus attached thereto, A an end vienY of thetransfer` car,

also a portieri of the platform,

is a plan view of the reception car, the roof being removed,

Fig. 5 is aplan View of a portion of the mechanism located beneath thefloor ofthe reception car,

showing Fing. 6 is a side elevation of the reception car, por ons beingomitted, n h

liig. i' 'is a section along the line emi' of lng. fl,

S is a plan view of a detail, ll 1g. 9 1s a plan view of some ot themechanism located beneath the station platform,

*y Fig. l0 is an enlarged plan View `of a detail,

ll is an end View of the same,

Fig. l2 is an enlarged sectional View of portion of the reception car.

The platform -l.0- is located as close beside the railroad traclr -11 aspossible, so that the transfer car WT has only a short distance totravel over the bridging members betiveenthe reception car and theplatform. rllhe train is preferably composed of seven ears with thereception car Illocated in the middle, the preceding and succeeding'cars having mechanismattached thereto, cooperating with the mechanism ofthe platform and reception car in the operation of the device.

The transfer ear -TM is. mounted upon ball `bearing` caster wheels mi2-clearly shown in 3, which are adapted to run in parallel grooves -l3- inthe platform -lO- and is somewhat shorter than the car R- in the trainwhich is adapted to receive it. ln the drawingsl have shown the carlll-- to be a flat car, but it may be inelosed if desired, in anysuitable manner, to protect and secure the passengers or freight,thereon.

ln taking a heavy car on to a moving train and in putting itoif, tvvomechanisms are used which act together in accomplishing thisresult--both of which are operated by the energy of the train, but indifferent Ways. i i l One mechanism is necessary to accelerate thetransfer car in; taking the same on to the train and to retard and stopit When it is put olf, and the other1 is the mechanism actuallyaccomplishing the drawing into and, thrusting from the reception car ofthe transfer car. The means for accelerating and retardingI the transfercar will first be described.

Beneath the platform 1U- and extending longitudinally thereof are anumber, pref erably four, of shafts lt arranged end to end and having atclose intervals bevel gears w-w secured thereon (see Fig. 9). ltach ofthese bevel gears -l5- meshes with a bevel gear -l(i-- secured upon ashort shaft 17-4 extending at right angles to the shafts'l4-. Alsomounted upon each of the short shafts -l'- is a larger gear 18- whichprojects up through the platform -lO--. These gears -18- are adapted tomesh with a short rack i9- under the car -T- and to move the car whenthey themselves are rotated. The rack -19- is slightly shorter than thetangential distancebetween two of the gears 1S- which are equallyspaced, so that when the car -T- passes along the grooved platform therack 19- can mesh with only one gear at a time. The large gears areequal in size but the gears 15 and 16- vary progressively in size, asshown in Fig. 9, so that the gears l8- are all driven at differentspeeds, those near the cent-er of the platform rotating very slowly andthose near the ends very swiftly.

Each of the shafts 14- is rotated by the train as it passes theplatform, by means of a shaft l9'-- having a bevel gear -20- in meshwith a gear -l5- at its inner end, and the gear -21- on its outer end,outside of the platform, and which is connected by a chain or belt 22-with the gear 2S- mounted upon a support in such a way as to mesh withracks 2- secured beneath the cars.

f r For each of the shafts 14- there is a drive shaft .-l9ftthe gears20, 2l, and 23e-e beingthe same-size for the different shafts l to 19a-fso that the shafts 1dwill all be rotated at the same speed by the trainwhen it passes the platform. As a result of this arrangement, the car-T- standing at the middle 0f the platform with the rack -19- in meshwith one of the gears -18- is started very slowly in the direction inwhich the train is traveling. TWhen the rack -19- has passed the middlegear, it engages the next one, which is rotating slightly faster, and,after leaving this one, strikes a third which is rotating still faster,and so on, until the last gear is reached, at which point the car -T- isgoing approximately as lfast as-the train. After leaving the last gearin the line, the caster wheels of the car --T- pass out of the groovedtracks -l3- and the ear is drawn into the special reception car.

Exactly the reverse of this operation takes place when the car -T- isbeing put off at any station. In this case, the transfer car is put onthat end of the platform which the reception ear first passesv and isthen guided over the rotating gears -18 The iirst or end gear will berotating very fast, Vbut will Vretard the car T somewhat, tlie secondwill be rotating at a less speed, and will retard it further, Vand soon, until the car has stopped at the middle of the platform, where itmay be unloaded and madeready to be taken aboard the next train.

A large number of gears -18- may be used and this is desirable so thatthe transfer car may be started from a state of rest and graduallyaccelerated until it has at tained a high rate of speed withoutoverstraining any of the gears or shafts. lf it is desired to pass astation platform without landing` a transfer car oi' taking one on tothe train, the car -T- is loclied within the car R- in a mannerhereinafter to be described, and the racks -25 beneath the cars of thetrain are lifted by means of rods -2G-- and levers@ --2`:'-- on thevarious cars, so that they will not engage the gears -23-- At the endsof the platform curved grooves *Q8- are cut which guide the cas terwheels of car -T- which are on the side away from the train, toward thetransfer car, to assist the mechanism in moving the car -flinto and outoi" the car rlhe reception car is of the same length as the other earsin the train, but is open on one side to permit the transfer car to bemoved in and out. t is provided with three transverse channel members-29- which receive the caster wheels of the car -'l`-. These channelmembers are secured together by longitudinal bais -BO- so as to forni arigid frame. Each of the channels is supported at its middle point by abracket -31- and the frame is tilted downwardly toward the open sidewhen ear -T is being taken on or put olf, and is tilted back to ahorizontal position when the car -T- has reached its iinal positionwithin the reception car. The end portions of the chan nel members -29-are hinged at to the main portions and have their outer ends restingwith a sliding contact upon blocks i) Linn".

-3Ll-- Pivotally secured to these blocks 34- are extensions oi' bridgingchannels` -35 which support the car 'l`- while it is passing from theplatform to the reception car or vice versa. These bridging members haveat their outer ends the sup* porting wheels or rollers 3G- which rollupon a ledge 437- on the platform --lll-w when the train is passing thestation. Be-

tween stations, the bridging members are folded in, the wheels 236-entering` slots -37- in the floor of the car, the car T- having meansthereon for operating the bridging members in this manner.

Each of the bridging members is normally held by a tension spring -23S--in its extended position, as shown in Fig. #la and is held againstaccidental backward movement by a spring catch 39 having a shoulder-ttlthereon which engages the arm -llprojecting from the side of thebridging member and prevents the return movement thereof, the stop l2-en the other side of the member -,'5- preventing its movement in theother direction. The springfcatch +39 extends-urb der thehorizontal arm4land projects upwardly and backwardly on the outer side thereof, thisinclined portion -43- being adapted to coperate with the downwardlyprojecting bar 44ron the transfer car -T to release thef member --35-.

This downwardly projecting bar-w44#- has a horizontal lower portion -45-which strikes the` inclined surface of the spring member -39- to`depress the same and release the horizontal arm. As the horizontalportion -45- ofthe bar`el4 whichis secured to the far sidewof thetransfer car and hence will not strike the spring -39- until `the wheelsof the transfer car have 4.left the bridging members,` passes from theinclined surface of the spring, it comes in contact with the pin or stopa6- 4 set upright in the horizontal arm `4l andby striking this armturns the bridging member around its pivot until it is `folded along theside of the car The spring M39 being below the level of the bridgingmember does not interfere with this turning movement. The car -T- beinglocked within thecar R continually keeps the members folded in, but whenthe car -T- begins to move out of car MRP- the bar 4l4freleases the pinJLG- the spring 38- extends the member, and the spring catch -39- locksthe bridging mem bei-in its extended position, where it remains untilthe car -l-f has passed on to the platform and a new car -T been broughtinto the car -Rfe The car -T- is` `provided with pneumatic bumpers 110`which lessen the shock of the same against the wall of car The mechanismfor actually drawing the The transfer car is actually pulled aboard thetrain by a' pair of lazy tongs 47 guided between pairs of grooved rails48 and at the two ends of the reception ear. The rear ends of the tongsvare fastened to the crossed `members 50 and 51m pivotally connectedtogether at the centerand in reality constituting a pair of scissors,chroniaing the movements of the lazy tongs. 'lo the lower ends of thesemembers `50 and 5lare pivoted the upright pitmen -552 and 53-respectively which are connected with the tongs operating mechanismbelow the floor of the car.

A, pin proiects out horizontally on both sides `of the "tongs atthecentral pivotal points of the tong members `and rollers -5iaremounted on the ends thereof, the rollers being adapted to be guided inslots in the members .-le and 49. The rollers increase in size from therear tothe front end and at the.` limit of their forward pushing itmovement, downwardly and forwardly in@ clined slots 5G-- are formed inthe guida ways 48 and 419- so as to receive the rollers and to stop theforward movement of the tones.

Each of the lazy tongs has two end levers -57- which are curved andoverlap at their' outer ends to form a ring when the lazy tongs areextended. These rings are adapted to engage hooks w on the ends of thetransfer car when car -Rm comes opposite car '-'l` as the train passesthe platform and `to be operated by the mechanism beneath the floor ofthereception car to draw the transfer car into the reception car.

The hooks m58- are pro vided with shanls -59- extending along the sidesof the car -T- and passing through the tubular supporting brackets -60-.The shanks slide freely through the brackets 6G-- and nor mally holdhooks n58m extended from the sides of the car, being actuated by thecoiled springs 6l--`through pinions 62 and racks G3- upon shanks m59.Then the hook is pushed in, asit is when the car MT- is placed withinthe car -R- and the hooks bear against the side of car -R the coilsprings --(3l-- are wound up and when the car -T is back on` theplatform, the springs e61- extend them again. Coacting stops 64 and 65on the shank and car T- respectively, serve to prevent the hooksfrombeing extended too far. The right hook (Fig. l) extends farther fromthe car T than the left hook and. the rings of the tones extenddifferent distances from the car t in order that the right ring willengage only the right hook and the left ring will engage only the lefthook. The hooks are also at different elevations.

The tongs are operated, as before stated, by meansof pitmen 52 and 53-pivotally `connected tothe crossedrods and 5lat one end and are pivotedeccentrically to crown gears 66 at the other ends. The rotation of`these crown gears Aactuates the members -50 and 51 to extend andwithdraw the tongs.` Meshing with crown gears -66- are pinions -67-mounted upon sleeves 68- rotativelysecured upon the ends of long shafts-`69- but freely rotatable thereon.

Uponthe other ends of shafts G9- are bevel gears --70 which in turn meshwith the large horizontally disposed crown gear 7l- The bracketssupporting the various shafts and gears have been omitted in some of thedrawings to promote clearness.

Intermediate `the ends of shafts G9-#i2 threaded openings inthe .endsoflthertwo f end channel members 29. The rotation of shafts -69- throughthese gears raises or lowers the rear ends of the channels to tip themabout their pivots. Sleeves -68- are provided on their inner ends withclutch teeth -'75- adapted to coperate with the tongs extended orretracted. Y

Tn the operation of the mechanism it is desirable that the channelmembers be tipped up andthe car -T- resting thereon be ready to passdown the incline onto the platform before the car is shoved out, tolessen the strain on the tongs which would otherwise be very great. Forthis reason,

the clutch and sleeve members are used, as

they enable the car to be tilted up and placed upon an incline beforethe tongs are operated.

To make the action automatic, l provide forked levers -78- pivotallysecured to the side of car R and connected with the channel members insuch a way that the clutches, and therefore the tongs are operated onlyafter lthe channels have been tipped a considerable amount. Thisconnection comprises two pulleys -79 and a belt 80- thereon providedwith stops 1 81- which alternately engage the upper end of leverv -78-to operate the clutch. Around pulleys -79- and with their ends securedthereto, are wires or cords S2- which extend upwardly and are attachedto the channel members. When the channel membersare tipped, cords 82unwinding from spools y-79 will rotate the same to cause clutch teeth 75 and 76- to engage each other. Springs -83- return belts -80- and hencelevers .-78- to their normal position (with clutches disengaged) whenthe channels are tipped downwardly to a horizontal position.

The means for actuating the gear 7lwill now be explained. l eshing withthe teeth of crown gear -71 is a pinion 8amounted upon the end of ashort horizontal shaft -85- which' has mounted upon its other end thelarge vertical gear wheel -86. vThe shaft V-85- together with pinion S4-and gear -86- may be raised or lowered, the shaft being journaled in ahorizontal lever` -87- pivoted to the car body nearl its middle point.

The gear wheel 86M is adapted to mesh with Va rack -88- placed alongsidethe track opposite the platform -10- and to be rotated thereby,rdue tothe motion of the train, to rotate the gear ,-71- and theother shaftsand gears to operate the tongs. When the lever -87- has its right endraised (Fig) the gear 841- will not mesh with rack 88- and the stationwill be passed by without discharging a transfer car. When the leverlets the gear Selvdown, it will mesh with rack -88 and the transfer carwill be discharged.

At the left of the pivotal point of the lever is a heavy weight S9-which normally tends to keep this end down and the gear -84- fromreaching the rack. The right end of the lever is upturned and is adaptedto enter between the lower ends of two heavy blocks 90 pivoted at theirupper ends to a single pivot. Normally the blocks hang close togetherand the upturned end of the lever can not pass between them, but meansare provided for opening the jaws at the proper time. This meanseomprises a lever -9l pivoted t0 a bracket secured to the car -lt belowthe blocks 90m and having` a pin and slot connection `with one of them.hen the lower end of the lever strikes a block placed for that purposealong the track, 1t swings baelnvardly throwing the block to which 1t 1sconnected at its upper end forwardly and allowing the end of the leverto pass upwardly therebetween to raise gear -84. By means of a pin andslot connection with the body of the car -R- the second block has alimited rotary motion so that it may lit tightly against the block, butretains its position when the latter is swung by the lever.

A push rod Q2- is pivoted to the lever and extends upwardly to somepoint where it may be conveniently reached, as, for instance, thetop ofthe ear, and this is adapted to be used to push the lever` -8T down sothat the gears on shaft -S55- mesh with rack 88 and gear -71-respectively. After being pushed down in this manner, blocks -90- cometogether and prevent the lever from rising. In passing a station withthe operating parts in this position, a transfer car will be discharged,and after the platform has been passed the lower end of lever -91-strikes a block or trip 93- along the track and the blocks -90- areseparated to allow the lever to rise and place gear -86- and pinion 8a-Min inoperative position, where they will remain until the push rod -92-is operated again.

The rack 88 is placed on the right or the track and opposite that partof the platform on which the ear T- is to be placed.

As the gear 8G- is heavy and also the chain of mechanism connecting itwith the lazy tongs, it is desirable that means be provided forgradually starting it to turn before it strikes the rack -88- lestbecause of Vits inertia it break the teeth of the gear and with the gear-86n as it passes above them and are close together' so that theypresent an almost continuous toothed surface to the gear n86. y

'lIhe first of these gears which the gear 86- strikes is freelyrotatable, while the others are retarded by spring-pressed frictionblocks -96-- the friction applied boing greater as the rack is neared. When the gear w86 strikes the tirstgear, which ro tates freely, it spinsthe latter and starts rotating in a reverse direction very slowly; thesecond gear will not spin so freely, and for this reason, the largergear is accelerated in its own rotation, and so on, until the rack B8-.-is reached. If the friction blocks -96- are properly adjusted, thecircumference of the `gear +86- will be traveling nearly as fast as `thetrain, and when the rack is reached no breaking of teeth will result. Ofcourse, the rotation of the gear `8G- actuates the mechanSID con nectedthereto, but the tongs willnot beepH erated before the rack isr'eached,the initial. rotation of the gear serving only to tip the channelmembers.

:Pivoted to the side of the car R4- is a lever 97 n lwhich extendsupwardly above the floor of the car and has its apper endv bent inwardlyand Vupwardlytc form a trip or catch.` The downwardly projecting bracketw98 on car -T-f strikes the inclined upper surface of this lever whencar WT- is almost completely within car -R-l and depresses .the same.After bracket M98m has passedover the catch, the weight of the lower end'of the, lever swings the catch back of bracket u98 and car -Tf islocked in position. A block placed beside the track, tips the lever torelease `the car -T- atthe proper time. In Fig. 6, the full lineposition of lever Qw shows lthe lever tipped in this and the carunlatched. Locking` lever 9,74-, ythrown forward `,so as to becompletely abovel the tripping block 49,9- when" it is" not desired toput 'off car TM at any station. Be tween stations, it is also intliisposition land is `held by the curved end of leveryf`87`- bearing againstthe inclined block 100eon lever -A-97. Whenlever #,ST- is in theposition shown 6, the curved end is behind the pivotal point of lever.4975?- Which isfree toswing when` it strikes the block. 'Vhen the lever,4874- tips upwardly, `thelower "end of the lever 9.7- 1s elevated andthe two objects are achieved at one time.

The means for bringing another car T on to the car -R- at the other endof the platform are the same asnsed in putting it ofi",` but operated ina reverse manner. rack 41025- on theleft side of the train engagesthelarge gear e101- which similar to gear 86,- and motion of rotaas theydo when the hooks are engaged to tion is transmitted to gear -`71-`, inthereverse directiomthrough short shaft -103- pinion 104%- horizontalcrown gear nl05- and small `horizontal gear 106 meshing with 7l. By thismeans the lazy tongs are actuated to draw car T`` on to car -R- in amanner exactly the reverse of that in which it was put on".

)bvionsly the racks alongside the tracks must be carefully positioned sothat the tongs operate at the proper time. .y

In thrusting the car T-f on tothe platform, the tongs, which. havecompletely opened on contraction, d o not grip the hooks draw the carfrom the platform, but pass completely aroundthe hook so as to engagethe rearwardly extending shanks 1075- and 108- thereof. This allows thetongs to slip oil of the hooks when the car -T-.f is slowed up by thegears. Aspring 1094- holds the tongsfast on thehooks until thel gearsaiereached by car-T.

Y After disengaging the racks S8- 1 102%` thewheels -``8G`andl0`1yf`willtend tocontinuefto rotate, dueto their inertia, and as a means forbringingl the two wheels and the connecting apparatus `to a stop` at theproper point, `I provide raised friction faces -111 and `1112'- on`wheels #if-86 and respectively adapted to engage silni` lar raisedsurfaces 113 and 114-- respectively secured on the body of car Also Ileave a gap `in the peripheral teeth of gear n105- which gap is normallyoppo- 100 site the gezin-106. This prevents the gear -,-7l fromVrotating gears #101 `and 105,` while `it does not prevent gear `1`05-`from rotating gear 71. y y

`The above described construction may be 105 modied for: practicalreasons, and do `not wish to confine myself to the exact apparatusshown,

That `I claimis:

l, In a transfer system of thelclass ,de- 1,10 scribed, car adapted tobe transferred to a vehicle. movil-1e alone a tracks/ay, means besidethe tracltway and actuated by said vehicle for accelerating said carandmeans on the .vehicle for transferring said car-to. the vehicle. 'u y,

2, In a transfer system of theclass de; scribed, 5119er ediptedft betransferred@ a `vehiclefIrio'ving a trackway, `means beside the trackway`for. acceleratingsaid 1,2.,0 car,`and Ameans on the vehicle fortransferringlsaid 4carto the vehicle. y y y,

3. In atransfer vsystem of the class de scribed, a .car adapted to Vbe#transferred from Va trackway to a moving vehicle, means 1,25 extendingfrom the path of said vehicle to said car and adapted to accelerate saidcar, devices on the vehicle for actnatingsaid accelerating means, `andmeans on the vehicle for transferring said car to the vehicle. 130

4. In aV transfer system of the class described, a car adapted to betransferred to a vehicle moving along a trackivay, a series of gears onstationary shafts actuated by saidvehicle for accelerating said car, andmeanson the vehicle for transferring said car to the vehicle.

5. In a transferv system of the class described, a ear adapted to runalong a trackway and to betransferred from the trackway `to a movingvehicle, a series of gears under said trackway, a rack beneath said earadapted to engage said gears successively, means coperating with saidvehicle tov aetuate said gears and to accelerate said car, and means onsaid vehicle for transferring said car to said vehicle.

6. In a transfer system of the class described, a car adapted to runalong a track- Way andto be transferred from the track- Wav to a'movingvehicle, a series of vertically disposed gears between the rails of saidtrackvvay, aV rackV beneath said car adapted to engage said gearssuccessively as the Vcar passes along. the trackway, means actuated by apassing vehicle for rotating said gears in the same direction, but atsuccessively higher speeds from the center to- Ward each end of thevtrackway, whereby the car is accelerated as it passes from the centerto one end of the trackway and retarded as it vpasses from the other endof the trackw'ay toward the center, and means on said vehicle fortransferring said car to said vehicle. c

7. In a transfer system of the class described, a car adapted to runalong a track- Way and to be transferred from the track- Way to a movingvehicle, a longitudinal shaft beneath said trackway, a series of gearsmounted thereon, a series of short transverse shafts' beneath saidtrackway, gears on said transverse shafts meshing with the gears of saidlongitudinal shaft, said intermeshing gears varying progres- Y sively insize from the middle of the track- Ves A trackway and approaches" theend thereof,

or retarded as it leaves the other end and approaches the middle, andmeans on said vehicle forrtransferrin'g-said car to said vehiclej fromsaid trackwayv and for transferring'said 'car from said vehicle to said'trackieepos 8. In a transfer device of the class dcscribed, twoparallel trackways, a transfer car adapted to run on one of said trackw;ys, a train on the other of said trackways, a reception car in saidtrain adapted to receive and contain the transfer' car, a rack on saidtrain, a gear between said trackways and adapted to be rotated by therack on said train as the train passes the same, means connected withsaid gear and operated thereby for accelerating said car when the gearis rotated by the passing train, and means for transferring saidtransfer car from said trackway to said reception car.

9. In a transfer device ofthe class desciibed, se two paralleltrackways, a train upon one of said trackways, a reception car in saidtrain, a transfer car upon the other of said trackways, means adapted tobe actuated by the train for accelerating said transfer car to the speedof the train, bridging members pivotally secured to said reception carand adapted to be extended toward the other trackway, and means on saidreception car for engaging said transfer car and drawing the same oversaid bridgingmembers into said reception car.

l0. In a transfer device of the class described, two parallel tackways,a train upon one of said trackways, a reception ear in said train, atransfer car in said reception car, a transfer car upon the second ofsaid trackways, and means for transferring the first mentioned transfercar to said traekway, and for transferring the last mentioned transfercar to said reception car, said means comprising bridging memberspivotally secured to said reception car, and extending toward saidtrackway, means for moving said first mentioned transfer car over saidbridging members to said second trackway, means for drawing said lastmentioned transfer car over said bridging members into said receptioncar, and means actuated by said train for retarding and stopping saidfirst mentioned transfer car and for accelerating said last mentionedtransfer car to the speed of the train.

1l. In a transferdevice of the class described, a platform, a trackwayadjacent said platform, a vehicle on said trackway adapted to containtransfer car, a transfer car, means for transferring said transfer carfrom said platform to said vehicle when the vehicle is in motion, andautomatic locking means on said vehicle for holding said transfer carwithin the vehicle after the transfer.

l2. In a transfer device of the class described, a platform, a trackwayadjacent said platform, a vehicle on said trackway, adapted to contain atransfer car, a transfer car, means for transferring said transfer carfrom said vehicle to said platform when tire vehicle passes theplatform, means mounted adjacent said trackway for engaging said meansand operating the same due to the motion of the vehicle, and manuallyoperable means for controlling the transferring means whereby it may beprevented from operating to transfer the car.

13. ln a transfer device of the class described, a platform, a trackwayadjacent said platform, a vehicle on said trackway adapted to contain atransfer car, bridging members secured to said vehicle and extendingtoward said platform, a transfer car in said Vehicle, a cog,r Wheelsecured to said `vehicle, a stationary rack beside said platform,adapted to be engaged by said cog Wheel when the vehicle passes theplatform, and means connected with said cog Wheel for transferring saidtransfer car from said vehicle to said platform when said copr Wheelengages said rack.

14. In a transfer device of the class described, a platform, a trackwaybeside said platform, a transfer car on said platform a vehicle on saidtrackway, a second trans 'er car Within said Vehicle, means fortransferring said second car to said platform and for drawing' saidfirst mentioned car into said vehicle as the vehicle passes theplatform, and retarding and accelerating means actuated by the p seingvehicle for stopping the second car upon the platform and foraccelerating said irst car to the speed of the train.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM P. LAMAR.

